By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine - Much has been said about the mercy of the late Pope Francis, as compared with the supposed rigidity of his two immediate predecessors. I will not draw comparisons here, nor will I pretend to judge these men on their merits. I wish to use the occasion to specify what work a moral teacher must do and its relation to mercy... I like doctors who have good bedside manner. But I don’t hire a doctor for those. I want my doctor to be good at diagnosing a problem and straightforward in addressing it. I want him to give me the respect I am due by telling me exactly what is wrong, ....